Traveling case



Dec. 28, 1937. L. G. STANLEY TRAVELING CASE Filed May 21, 1936 y LcaMoLq. Era/M mm ,W

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Patented Dec. 28, 1937 UNITED STATES:

' PATENT OFFICE V TRAVELING CASE Leopold G. Stanley, Maplewood, N. J.

Application May 21, 1936, Serial No; 80,925

7 Claims.

This invention is a' novel traveling case of the brief case type, beingaclosable case of generally oblong'form composed of leather or similarsheet material and therefore generally flexible, and

' adapted for various practical uses, whether as a brief case, or tocarry and display stationery, and the like, or as a means oftransporting'and conveniently using records-accounts, books, accessoriesor the like. Considered as a brief or sample case, this article may beof the general character of a portfolio, having compartments ofdifferent thicknesses or sizes to receive and accommodate variouscontents.

The general object of thepresent invention is to afford a traveling caseof the kind referred to which will be neatand compact in structure andattractive and convenient in use. A special object-is to afford atraveling case which not only closes readily and completely. forcarrying articles such as specified, but which opens in an improvedmanner for purposes of utility and convenience in practical use. Aparticular object is to afford a traveling case adapted to standuprightlyin a steady manner upon a relatively narrow bottom wall, thecase being closed by a flap fastened across the top with a top handlefor liftingthe case.

Further objects and advantages will be explained in the followingdescription of an illustrative embodiment thereof or will be manifest tothose conversant with the subject. To the attainm'entof such objects andadvantages the invention consists in the novel traveling 'case and thenovel: features of structure, combination and arrangementherein'illustrated or described.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view"'of thetraveling case hereof standing upon a support or table and shown in itsfully opened position.

FigI2 is a transverse vertical cross section view of "the case infitsclosed-position.

Fig. 3, on a'smaller scale, shows thecase in its closed position' inperspective.

Fig.4 is a modification corresponding'to the lower part of Fig. 2. a

The novel traveling case hereof may be described generally as of briefcase type'composed of leather or like flexible material, with certainstiffening, and comprising (1) a vertical main section of substantialthickness and of greater length and height than its' thickness, andhaving a-stifiened fiat bottom wall to rest steadily upon a support ortable, with back and front up standingwalls, enclosing compartment orreceiving space, and at each end 'a gusset or closingwall which iscollapsible at its upper part, so that the bottom wall rests firmly asof its full width; while the upper part of the case may collapsev moreor less according to the quantity of contents; (2) and a swingablesection hinged at the front edge of said'bottom wall, having re'ceivingspaces or pockets, and adapted to swing down flatly upon the support ortable, as seen in Fig. 1,. thus giving access to its receiving spacesand to the aforesaid front wall of the main section, the swingablesection adapted also to swing up flatly against said front wall for theclosing of the case, as-seen in Figs? and '3; (3) a cover flapconstituting a flexibleextension'of one of such sections, preferably themain section, and adapted to fold over and down to close the case, andhaving means there to secure or look its extremity to the other section;(4) and a handle upon the exterior side of the cover flap for thecarrying of the case. 0

In the drawing the main. or upright section, is marked A, the swingablefront section is marked B, the cover flap C and the fasteningor lockingmeans D, and these may be separately described in detail as follows:

The main or vertical section A consists of a base or'bottom wall acomprising some sort of flat stiffening such ascardboard a, or, asseenin Fig. 4, the metal strip a which may be bent upwardly intothe form ofan angle iron both at the front and back, forming a U-shape stiffeningtending to give greater stability to the upright case. Attached to orintegral with the bottom wall is an outer back vertical wall a closelywithin which is shown a back vertical inner walla, these walls providinga thin compartment between them. At the front is a high front wall aconnected or integral with the bottom wall and exterior thereto a lowfront wall a? forming a thin compartment between the two. This system offront and back walls affords a substantial compartment or receivingspace between them,,and' the case is closed at the ends by walls orgussets a which are of the full width of the bottom wall 7 r and whichare collapsible at their upper portions, 45 so that with small contentsthercase as a whole may collapse at its upper portion, while retainingfull width at the bottom, thuslassuming the shapeof a prism or pyramid.Inside the main section is shown a divider wall a which may be stitchedto the bottom, but otherwise loose so as to be self adjustable betweenthe front and back walls of the main section. V

The swinging front sectionB is shown hinged at b to themain'se'otion,that is, at the front edge of the bottom wall a or the bottom edge ofthe bottom edge of the front wall a or a The swingable section is shownas consisting of an outer wall I), which is its front wall when the caseis closed. To produce a compartment of substantial thickness there isshown a high inner or rear wall N, at the inner side of which in turn isattached a low inner wall b producing a flat compartment or pocketbetween the walls 12 and 22 which may for convenience be subdivided bystitching b Instead of'stitching the high wall b directly to the outerwall b they are shown as being connected by gussets b at the ends, eachgusset being folded flatly near the hinge but expansible at its upperend as seen in Fig. 1. Section B therefore as a whole is relativelythin.

The cover piece or flap C constitutes a flexible continuation orextension of one of the sections A or B, and when closed reaches overthe top of both sections and is turned down for fastening or locking ofthe case. A narrow strip 0 of the cover flap is rendered stiff as by aninterior strip of cardboard c, this being considerably narrower than thewidth of the base wall a so that the upper part of the case may becollapsed to a corresponding width. Beyond the stiffened area 0 is theflexible extension 0 folded down for fastening the case. The flap C isshown as a continuation of the wall a of the main or thick section A andas extended over and down for attachment to the outer wall b of sectionB. The extreme edge or margin 0 of the flap C may contain stiffeningalong its whole length, preventing curling at the corners. The flap Cconstitutes a means at the top of the case to close it, and might bereplaced by a flap on each section, suitably attachable for closing thecase.

The fastening or locking means D is shown as consisting of a lock, suchas is frequently used on brief cases and the like, with one look part don the flap extension 0 having inwardly extending pins or hooks d; andthe wall I) carrying the complementary portion or hasp d of the lock,which may have two or more sets of holes d to receive the hooks of thecomplementary lock part with different adjustments necessary withvarying degrees of fullness of the case. The usual finger piece d isshown, adapted to be slid downwardly to effect release of the lockingmeans.

For carrying the case there is shown a handle E, which may be similar toa brief case handle, consisting of a flexible or leather strip havingits ends loosely attached by leather or metal loops or rings e. It willbe noted that the handle is so positioned that it serves convenientlyfor lifting the bag whether it be full and the cover flapcorrespondingly adjusted, or substantially empty and the upper portionof the case collapsed substantially to the width of the stiffenedsection 0' of the cover flap.

As it may sometimes be undesirable that the section B should swing downto flat position there is shown a quick releasing attachment, as a snapfastener F consisting of member f on section A or wall a and member f onsection B or wall 13 holding together the sections at will, as when thecase is set down on the floor alongside the chair of the user.

It will be noted that the front or outer wall b of the hinged section Bof the case is built up of several parts, which may consist of an innerfacing 17 and next to that a stiff or cardboard layer b with somefibrous or Woven material b between the stiffening layer b" and theouter face b Various modifications may be made in the described featuresof structure, combination and arrangement, and no limitation to detailsis intended except as recited in the claims.

I claim:

1. A traveling case of the briefcase type, oblong in form, composed ofleather or like material and generally flexible, the same having rearand front walls with top-opening receiving space between them, andcollapsible end gussets and a cover flap constituting a flexibleextension of the rear wall and adapted to fold over the front to closethe case, with a fastening means therefor, and a handle on the exteriorside of the flap; and characterized by the following features combinedtherewith, namely that the bottom of the case is flat, non-collapsibleand stiffened so that the case may stand steadily upright upon asupport, and that connected with the main section of the case, havingits rear and front walls upstanding,

is a supplemental swingable front section having an interior receivingspace or pockets, said swingable section being connected with the mainsection only by a hinge between the swingable section and the front edgeof the stiff bottom wall of the case; whereby the swingable section maybe closed up vertically against the main section and confined by thecover flap when fastened or may be released to drop flat while the mainsection remains upright, thus fully exposing both sections to access.

2. A case as in claim 1 and wherein the facing walls of the main andswingable sections have low pocket walls forming low pockets inaccessieble except by the swinging down of the swingable section.

, 3. A traveling case of the briefcase type, oblong in form, composed ofleather or like material and generally flexible, the same having rearand front walls with top-opening receiving space between them, andcollapsible end closures and a cover flap constituting a flexibleextension of the rear wall and adapted to fold over the front to closethe case, said flap having a fastening means and an exterior handle; andcharacterized in that the bottom of the case contains stiffening meansrendering it flat and non-collapsible so that the case may standsteadily upright upon said bottom as a base, and in that connected withthe main section of the case, having its rear and front wallsupstanding, is a supplemental swingable front section having an interiorreceiving space or pockets, and unconnected with the main section exceptby a hinge between the swingable section and the bottom front edge ofthe main section; whereby the swingable section may be closed upvertically against the main section and confined by such cover flap whenfastened or may be released to drop flat while the main section remainsupright, thus fully exposing both sections to access; the said sectionshaving between them a readily detachable fastening or snap fastener tohold up, the swingable section until released.

4. A case as in claim 3 and wherein the swingable section comprisesouter and inner'walls secured together flatly near the hinge and withgussets or collapsible ends.

5. A traveling case of. the briefcase type, oblong in form, composed ofleather or like material and generally flexible, the same having rearand front walls with top-opening receiving space between them, andcollapsible end gussets and a cover flap constituting a flexibleextension of the rear Wall and adapted to fold over to close the case,with fastening means and handle; and characterized by the followingfeatures combined therewith,

(a) that the bottom of the case is fiat, and contains stiffening meansso that the case may stand steadily upright upon a support, saidstiffening means comprising an angle iron incorporated in the bottom andextending up into one of said walls, and (b) that connected with themain section of the'case, having its rear and front walls upstanding, isa supplemental swingable front section having an interior receivingspace, and connected with the main section by a hinge between theswingable section and the front edge of the stiff bottom wall of thecase; whereby the swingable section may be closed up vertically againstthe main section and confined by such cover flap when fastened or may bereleased to drop fiat while the main section remains upright, thus fullyexposing both sections to access.

6. A case as in claim 1 and wherein the swingable section comprisesouter and inner walls secured together flatly near the hinge and withgussets or collapsible ends.

7. A traveling case, oblong in form, composed of leather or likematerial and generally flexible, the same having rear and front wallswith topopening receiving space between them, and collapsible endgussets; and characterized by the following features combined therewith,namely that the bottom of the case is flat, non-collapsible andstiffened so that the'case may stand steadily upright upon a support,and that connected with the main section of the case, having its rearand front'walls upstanding, is a supplementalswingable front sectionhaving an .interior receiving space, said swingable section beingconnected with the main section only by a hinge between the swingablesection and the front edge of the stifi bottom wall of the case; wherebythe swingable section may be closed up vertically against the mainsection or may be released to drop flat while the main section remainsupright, thus fully exposing both sections to access; the said sectionshaving complementary means for covering and securing together thesections in their closed positions; the facing walls of at least one ofsaid sections having pocket walls forming pockets inaccessible except bythe swinging down of theswingable section; and'the swingable sectioncomprising outer and inner walls secured together flatly near the hingeand connected along their ends to form said interior receiving space.

LEOPOLD G. STANLEY.

